Dry-run design time environment

Abstract

This disclosure provides various embodiments for performing a dry-run of a business process model in a design-time environment. A start event and end event of the business process model are identified, defining a path of a flow map including a sequence of a plurality of events, including the start event, the end event, and at least one other event sequenced between the start and ends. The events in the path are stepped-through to simulate each event. An error is identified corresponding to a particular event in the path and the step-through is paused upon identifying the error. A user is then prompted for an input to at least temporarily resolve the at least one error. The stepping-through of the plurality of events is then resumed in response to a resolution input from the user. The dry run ends in response to stepping-through to the end event.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for performing a dry-run of a business process model in a design-time environment, the method comprising:
 identifying, by a processor, a start event and at least one end event of the business process model defining at least one path of a flow map of the business process model, the path including a sequence of a plurality of events, the plurality of events including the start event, the at least one end event, and at least one other event, the at least one other event positioned between the start event and the end event in the sequence; 
 stepping-through, by the processor, the plurality of events in the path to simulate each event in the plurality of events; 
 identifying, by the processor, at least one error corresponding to a particular event in the path; 
 pausing, by the processor, the stepping-through of the plurality of events at the particular event in response to identifying the at least one error; 
 prompting, by the processor, a user for an input to at least temporarily resolve the at least one error; 
 resuming, by the processor, stepping-through of the plurality of events in response to a resolution input from the user; and 
 ending, by the processor, the dry run in response to stepping-through to the at least one end event. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a graphical representation of at least a portion of the business process model is presented to the user on a GUI and progress of the stepping-through of the plurality of events is presented on the GUI. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein prompting the user for an input includes presenting an interactive pop-up window adapted to receive inputs from the user. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein prompting the user for an input includes presenting a listing of input options to the users, wherein the listing of input options includes a plurality of inputs determined to be potential resolutions to the error. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the particular event includes a process using at least one variable; 
 the error relates to a failure to provide a value for the at least one variable; and 
 the resolution input includes a user-specified value for the at least one variable. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one variable corresponds to an input to be received through a user interface associated with a runtime business process modeled by the business process model. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one variable corresponds to an input to be received from another process in a runtime implementation of a business process modeled by the business process model. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one variable corresponds to an output of a runtime business process modeled by the business process model. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the particular event includes a decision based at least in part on at least one condition; 
 the error relates to a failure to provide at least one condition for the decision; and 
 the resolution input includes a user-specified condition. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the business process model is an underspecified business process model. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the business process model is non-compilable. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the business process model is non-executable within a runtime environment based at least in part on the at least one error. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the design-time environment is an integrated development environment. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying that the business process model lacks at least one of a start event and an end event; 
 pausing initiation of the stepping-through of the plurality of events in response to identifying that the business process model lacks at least one of a start event and an end event; 
 prompting the user to specify the lacking at least one of a start event and an end event; 
 initiating stepping-through of the plurality of events in response to a user specification of the lacking at least one of a start event and an end event. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying the business process model based at least in part on the resolution input. 
     
     
       16. A system comprising:
 a integrated development environment including a dry-run simulator, the dry-run simulator including:
 at least one memory device storing at least one business process model, the business process model including a data flow map that includes at least one path, the path including a sequence of a plurality of events, the plurality of events including a start event, an end event, and at least one other event, the at least one other event positioned between the start event and the end event in the sequence; 
 a simulator tool adapted to step-through the plurality of events in the path to simulate each event in the plurality of events, identify at least one error corresponding to a particular event in the path, and pause stepping-through of the plurality of events at the particular event in response to identifying the at least one error; and 
 an error resolution tool adapted to prompt a user for an input to at least temporarily resolve the at least one error and receive resolution inputs from the user, wherein paused step-through of the plurality of events resumes in response to a resolution input from the user. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the integrated development environment further includes a source code editor, a compiler, a build automation tool, and a debugger. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the integrated development environment is provided as a service to at least one remote client computing device. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the integrated development environment further includes a graphical user interface adapted to present a graphical representation of at least a portion of the business process model to the user, present progress of the stepping-through of the plurality of events to the user, and present a prompt to the user identifying the error. 
     
     
       20. An article comprising a machine-readable storage device storing instructions operable to cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
 performing a dry-run of a business process model in a design-time environment, wherein performing the dry-run of the business process model includes:
 identifying a start event and at least one end event of the business process model defining at least one path of a flow map of the business process model, the path including a sequence of a plurality of events, the plurality of events including the start event, the at least one end event, and at least one other event, the at least one other event positioned between the start event and the end event in the sequence; 
 stepping-through the plurality of events in the path to simulate each event in the plurality of events; 
 identifying at least one error corresponding to a particular event in the path; 
 pausing the stepping-through of the plurality of events at the particular event in response to identifying the at least one error; 
 prompting a user for an input to at least temporarily resolve the at least one error; 
 resuming stepping-through of the plurality of events in response to a resolution input from the user; and 
 ending the dry run in response to stepping-through to the at least one end event.